Art has always been part of my family’s rhythm of life. There were artists in my family although no one ever really became known for it professionally. My grandfather drew constantly. He was a fixer and a maker, and he played guitar and piano. My grandmother always stitched or sewed, my mother dreamed of pursuing interior design and was always great at drawing; she was also one of the first people to teach me different artistic techniques. My aunt taught me how to use colored pencils and many of my other aunts and uncles were architects. I grew up watching them draw plans, design spaces and even build maquettes. I was surrounded by people who naturally expressed themselves through making.

I realize now that I inherited that way of seeing and creating. Art was already in me.

It was through our migration to the United States, however, that my art began to be seen as something special. Teachers recognized something in my work and encouraged me to apply to magnet art schools. Without their encouragement, I think art might have simply remained a natural part of who I was, like something I did privately without ever imagining that it could become a path of its own.

For many years, I kept my art mostly to myself, sharing it only with close friends and family. Now, I want to bring it beyond that circle. I want to share the way I see the world, the memories I carry and the stories that have lived in me for years with a wider audience.